My fave

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Working on a psych unit, I have few “favorite patients,” yet this week I have a new one. She is an elderly lady with dementia. She is adorable and has a wonderful family. She calls me “Mary” and “Mother Mary” every single day that I have worked with her. When I asked her family who Mary was, I was told that there was no Mary in their family. I have no idea where she gets this. One of our nurses told me that she calls HER George every time that she works with our lady. She is consistent. I’ll give her that.

She was talking about her kids and, of course, I started talking about Jake. I told her that he was cute. And ornery. She said, “Would you want them any other way?”(She has eight kids and countless grand kids)

When wheeling her around the unit, she kept talking about how she was on a cruise and was afraid of the water. When a patient has dementia, I just go with whatever they are saying. I asked her where we were cruising and reassured her that I would not let her near the water.

She talked yesterday about how she was a daddy’s girl and how she was so spoiled and got everything she wanted. Then she said “I got things I didn’t even KNOW I wanted!” And then she started laughing. What a doll.

She is feisty and fun and I really enjoy working with her. It is refreshing to work with a patient with spunk and life. What is sad is when her family visits and I can tell that she is not herself and it upsets them. If she is that fun with dementia, I can only imagine how fun she would be in her normal state. And I really feel for her family. I adore her and see how much her family loves her. And then it inspires me to take that much better care of her and how I would want one of my family members treated. I often need that reminder. And I really hope and pray that she gets better.